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Amonte scores twice, Flames beat Stars 3-1 for first winning streak of season

After notching a career-low 14 goals in his first season with the Flames, Amonte was off to a similar start this year with just one goal in 13 games before breaking out for his first two-goal game since Mar. 27, 2003 when he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Thirty-three seconds after Dallas had tied the game 1-1, Amonte put Calgary ahead, deflecting Dion Phaneuf's slap shot over the shoulder of goaltender Marty Turco at 5:29 of the second period.

Miikka Kiprusoff did the rest, shutting out the Stars for the final 45 minutes to finish the night with 25 saves. One of the most dangerous chances down the stretch came with the Stars on the power-play late in the third but Kiprusoff, while down on the ice, managed to thwart Mike Modano from directly in front.

Kristian Huselius scored into an empty net with 17 seconds left for Calgary (5-7-2), which has earned points in three straight games following a shootout loss Friday night in Columbus and a win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Antti Miettinen scored for Dallas (11-4-0), which has lost two straight games for the first time all season. Dallas entered the night having won seven of its previous eight meetings with the Flames over the previous two seasons.

Bidding for his first hat trick since 2000, Amonte had two great opportunities but was stymied on both occasions. He was stopped from the side of the net by Turco late in the second period, and early in the third while shorthanded, he burst down the wing only to see his 40-foot slap shot rattle off the far goalpost.

Calgary had a great chance to add to its lead in the third period when a delay of game penalty to Stu Barnes put the Stars down two men for 1:24. The Flames could only muster one shot on the two-man advantage.

The Flames got an emotional boost five minutes into the game when defenceman Andrew Ference dropped the gloves for the first time this season in a scrap with NHL penalty minute leader Matthew Barnaby, who partook in his league-high seventh fight.

Ference held his own in the lengthy bout and afterwards, a majority of the sell-out crowd of 19,289 rose to their feet in a thunderous ovation.

Less than a minute later, Calgary opened the scoring. At the end of a shift, Marcus Nilson dropped a pass for Amonte, who dashed in from the edge of the face-off circle and snapped a shot inside the far post.

Miettinen tied it on a power-play at 4:56 of the second, whipping a high shot past Kiprusoff from the top of the faceoff circle.

Notes - Calgary improved to 14-2 all-time when Amonte scores... LW Jeff Friesen (flu) and D Andrei Zyuzin (groin) were out of the lineup for Calgary, the first game missed this season for each of them... The Flames led after the first period for just the third time in 14 games... Calgary has allowed just 17 even-strength goals, which ranks them second in the NHL behind Detroit (11). The Stars began the night one better than Calgary but after giving up three to the Flames have now allowed 19... Dallas entered the night having earned at least one point in 12 of its previous 13 games against the Flames.